Anglers Offered Jr. Carp discount entry fee

CANTON – Young anglers who want to enter the 10th Annual St. Lawrence International Junior Carp Tournament can sign up now and save 20 percent on the registration fee for the August event.

The regular $125 registration is knocked down to $100 until July 15th. The tournament is open to boys and girls ages 11 to 18. Gift registrations are available, as are sponsorships for teams of kids.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the tournament, the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce has added a $10,000 prize to the young angler whose top four fish total more than 100 pounds in weight. (In case more than one contestant hits that magic mark, the heaviest total over 100 pounds will win.)

Also up for grabs will be the traditional Tournament Champion prize of $1,500. With that, and a division win for $800, the top winning prize money won could total $12,300 or more. This years single big fish prize has not yet been announced. Last summer the biggest carp caught and released was a 40-pound, eight-ounce behemoth.

The $10,000 prize has not been offered in several years, according to the County Chamber, host of the three-day tournament that is the largest of its kind in the United States. Ashley Beldock of Lisbon, a multi-year participant in the tournament until she aged out, is Grand Marshal for this years 10th Anniversary. The tournaments first Grand Marshal was British actor Tom Felton, best known as the sinister Draco Malfoy in all the Harry Potter films.

The tournament takes place Thursday through Saturday, August 16 – 18, along a 30-mile stretch of the river from Ogdensburg to Massena. The event kicks off with the Mort Backus & Sons Fishing School that Thursday and concludes with an awards ceremony that Saturday night.

Registration materials can be downloaded from www.northcountryguide.com, or call the Chamber at 315-386-4000 to request a form and more information.

Interested sponsors of the event or of fishing teams can call the Chamber, too, as can individuals who are always needed to act as marshals and general volunteers.

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